The Big Day

I can’t even begin to tell you how dreamy the day and the moments were when I first saw my two little ones. I had to have a planned C-section delivery due to prior delivery complications and due to the fact that I was having twins. I made the doctors wait as long as possible even though it meant regular visits to monitor heartbeats and activity. After 39 weeks and approximately 12 pounds of babies, my body was ready for relief!

We arrived at the hospital and everything went so smoothly (besides the fact that we had to find a way for my mom to sneak back before surgery). I was conscious the whole time as they wheeled me into the operating room. Baby A came out crying (our little man) and Baby B (another little lady) was delivered seconds later. Of course, I couldn’t see a thing, but I heard the nurses and doctors oohing and aahing about how big they were. Both were right around 7 lbs. They both had great first test scores! Whew…this was the thing I had kept reading over and over about twins: “Be ready for the NICU.” Not these twins!*

*Sidenote: Must thank God for the health of these babies! This was my main concern and prayer request during pregnancy, and He was faithful to keep everyone in good health. He is still faithful today.

Soon babies were shown off at the nursery window, and then we were back together in recovery for warm blankets and monitoring. It was strange to have two little ones…and I can’t say that I have fully grasped it even now. I remember being rolled to my room and hearing the comments about the twins and about their health. I felt like I was somehow part of a bigger miracle.

Once we were in the hospital room, my husband and I invited our little ladies in first for a family meeting and photos. They each had a baby to hold. Grandmothers came in next, and they each had a baby to hold. Other family and friends had come to celebrate with us, and soon our room was full of oohs and aahs. I don’t remember much, but I am glad that we were able to share this miracle with so many wonderful people.

As soon as the oohs and aahs were over, the real job of parenting twins was going to begin! Little tummies were hungry, and little bodies needed rest. We would now figure out how to meet double the needs!

My advice to prepare for your big day:

Be knowledgable about what your baby really needs those first few days in the hospital. Unfortunately, there are lots of scary tests and situations in a hospital which nurses and doctors will do anything to avoid…including subjecting your child to unneeded medical attention. If your babies are healthy, they will probably only need to sleep and eat.

If you are nursing, get the lactation consultant to come visit you every day, and remember that it takes a few days for your milk to come in. Your babies will probably lose some weight, because all babies do. Your pediatrician will let you know if the weight is dropping drastically. Most babies do not starve in the first few days of life.

If you are nursing, this is not the time to let them eat when they are hungry. You need to be feeding or pumping every 3 to 4 hours. Get that milk flowing, because in a couple of weeks, you won’t be able to keep babies away!

Another nursing twins tip: Invest in a twin nursing pillow! I don’t know how I would have survived the first 3 months without one! And it was helpful to have at the hospital too. The lactation consultant was able to give me tips on positioning that I could use at home.